I have to have a root canal

[nessvan12]

Does it hurt?!?!

I''m terrified.

 

[Erin]

It doesn''t hurt at all. You''re completely numb, but the anesthetic needle pinches pretty good.
Which tooth is it? Front, middle or back?

Put chapstick or something on your lips prior to. Your lips will be stretched open for a long time and can get dryed out and uncomfortable.
Also, depending on the severity of why you have to have it done (mine was my very first filling that gave out) it didn''t smell good while drilling into it. Blech!

 

[luvmyhalo]

I''m sorry

I had one 6 or 7 yrs ago. It hurt a bit but mostly its just that uncomfortable feeling of being at the dentist. There''s a lot of pushing/pulling/twisting,etc that doesn''t feel all that great. My dentist had a TV mounted up high and put on a movie for me to watch and also had headphones. This was a lifesaver! Don''t worry...it will be over before you know it!

 

[nessvan12]

Date: 2/19/2008 2:50:22 PM
Author: Starset Princess
It doesn''t hurt at all. You''re completely numb, but the anesthetic needle pinches pretty good.
Which tooth is it? Front, middle or back?

Put chapstick or something on your lips prior to. Your lips will be stretched open for a long time and can get dryed out and uncomfortable.
Also, depending on the severity of why you have to have it done (mine was my very first filling that gave out) it didn''t smell good while drilling into it. Blech!

It''s a molar on the bottom right. This was also my first filling that fell out yesterday! I thought I''d just get it filled again. Oh, well guess it has to be done.

 

[baby monster]

It''s not that bad. I usually fall asleep after my dentist shoots me up with painkillers. The biggest PITA with root canals are the number of visits - you have to go several times to make sure the infection is gone. Then the dentist seals it up and puts a cap on the tooth.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I have never had one but I have heard they aren''t too bad. Hope it goes well with a smooth recovery!

 

[door knob solitaire]

No darlin...it won''t hurt. The pain you have felt in that tooth is the worst part. It is over. Honest.

You get this yummy minty gel rubbed on your gums to deaden the area...then a teeny little injection of a wonder drug that will knock out all feeling. You won''t even feel that.

You may know by now but I am not normal...That being said...I LOVE RC''S. It is like a mini vacation. I get the gas stuff and take a magic carpet ride...and then it is all done...I really am not joking...I am giddy when I arrive. They love me!

I''ve learned that that mask thing that delivers the gas is two fold a blessing. Of course I get the juice...the happy juice, but it also block my view of the instruments and activity. SO all I see is ceiling, and blue clouds.

Don''t spend another minute fretting. Really. It sounds much worse than the procedure really is. Canal....what? Root? Arghh.

 

[Independent Gal]

Honey, I just had my second round of dental work this morning. (First round last week). I confess, I was darn jittery. It was nowhere NEAR as bad as I thought it would be. The anticipation was way worse than the actual procedure. The trick is mind control. You have to practice forgetting where you are. It won't actually hurt at all while they're doing it if they freeze you properly, so then it's just the inherent fear of the dentist chair, so if you practice relaxing and pretending you're on the beach (or in the forest or wherever makes you feel chi-illed out) you'll be fine!

 

[decodelighted]

DKS,
Does your dentist do housecalls to NY??? I want this "happy gas" and blue cloudy bliss. Why do I never get the GAS dentists??? Sigh.

 

[Erin]

Me too Deco
The only time I''ve ever got to have the mask was when they were putting me under to cut all my wisdom teeth out.
I really really really want to try it just once so I can lay on the beach, too!

 

[isaku5]

I''ve had several root canals over the years. The first was done by a masochist whom I honestly believe loved creating agony for his patients! I have never fainted in my entire life, but with this guy, I was as close to passing out as I''ve ever been.

When my new dentist advised a root canal a few years down the road, to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was beyond petrified; but there was nothing to it, and he kept asking if I was okay. I had several done by him over a 15 year span, and have only the highest praise for him. Never once was I in pain, and that was without gas or painkillers!!

So much depends on your dentist (endodontist?) and how comfortable you feel with him/her. If this is your your first root canal and you''re sceptical of dentists to begin with, ask for the nitrous oxide. It makes some patients a little loopy, but it just takes the edge off your anxiety for others.

 

[TravelingGal]

I have had two. The first I don''t remember much about, except it wasn''t bad. The second...painless. Even afterwards, I didn''t need anything to help with pain...there just wasn''t any.

Must be dentist day. I''m going to mine in a couple of hours. I''ve only been to him once before, and I was MORTIFIED because he was HOT! My teeth were not in the best shape (due to pregnancy) and I just kept thinking, I really wished he was old and crusty....

Now I get to go to him with pink toothbrush syndrome AND all fat. Bloody stinkin'' hot dentist...and totally a sweet guy to boot. I mean, what dentist have you ever been to that introduces himself by his first name AND spends all the time in the world with you. Alas, he''s married...

Wait a minute...alas, I''M married!

 

[luvmyhalo]

Hmmmm....sounds a lot like that movie "The Waitress" with Kerri Russel!

 

[musey]

Mine wasn't bad at all, just kinda weird! It feels kinda "cold" when they're reaching into your root. But no pain here

Cramps are worse

 

[nebe]

Oh don't worry Ness(-a)! It doesn't hurt really because they make you pretty sleepy with drugs. It mostly just makes your jaw ache from keeping it open for so long. I was bulimic for many years so most of my teeth are capped or close to it, so I've been through my fair share of dentist offices. Root canals are really a fraction of what you go through with wisdom teeth, and even those weren't bad for me.

If you're really that nervous about it, ask to be referred to an endodontists (doctors who only do root canals) and they can put you to sleep (or close to it with a drip) so you don't even know what's happening when you have it done.

Hope that helps!!

 

[sera]

All I had was Novocaine and Lidocaine... didn''t have the fun stuff lol.

It''s not a super quick procedure; you can feel pressure but not pain.

There is no reason to be terrified. It''s unpleasant because of the tastes and sounds and having deconstruction and construction going on in your mouth.

Just relax, keep your mind on something else, and don''t worry. If they allow it, maybe bring an iPod to help pass the time.

If it helps you, maybe ask the dentist to explain what he is doing... I usually ask, "What are you doing now?" and "How long will it take?" It helps me to have a timeframe so that I''m not thinking each second she''ll be done (then it seems like forever).

IF IF IF you have an infection in the tooth, MAKE SURE the dentist puts you on antibiotics for the week prior! I''ll just leave it at that for now. But that is only IF you have an infection and the dentist would let you know if you do.

 

[somethingshiny]

I''ve had 4 root canals. Three on back teeth, one on a front tooth. None of them hurt. Definitely slather on the chapstick. That was probably the worst part, dry and ed lips. I''ve never had the gas, but my endodontist always puts these amber colored goggles on me, and I put in my earphones and I''m good.

The good part is, all the pain that you''ve had up til now is !!! It''ll be a breeze!


BTW-my genetics have blessed me with very thin enamel, and after the root canals, those are the only teeth that are NEVER sensitive!!

 

[Delster]

I tried to reply to this thread last night but I kept getting error messages

You will be fine, promise. My Mam and I have both had root canals. My Mam had to have her tooth cleaned out weekly for about a month beforehand to sort out an infection, and then she had the root canal done. She said it was a bit unpleasant but that was all down to the infection, and the root not being completely dead when they went to clean it out. For me, I had no infection and the root had been dead for 15 years. I literally felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. I didn't even need paracetamol afterward. It was a front tooth to boot. My wisdom teeth experience was a million times worse and even it wasn't all that bad really.

I have a question about root canals if it's not a threadjack? I went for a check-up recently and my usual dentist wasn't there and it was a German lady. She said that root canals make teeth brittle and my front tooth should have been crowned. She said that the root canal-ed tooth is now like a 'dead tree' and could smash at any moment if I bite into any food at all. She said all root canal-ed teeth are this brittle and she was surprised mine has lasted three years and that she'll be surprised it it lasts two more. She told me that in Germany they don't do root canals at all. This was all total hogwash wasn't it?!? My endodontist has me booked in for a check-up in TEN years, that's how confident he is that the root canal will still be in place! After all, the whole point of the treatment was to save the natural tooth and not have a crown.

Anyone else ever heard anything like this? I am careful with that tooth in any event but this woman really made my mind boggle.

 

[Delster]

Date: 2/19/2008 5:05:54 PM
Author: TravelingGal

Now I get to go to him with pink toothbrush syndrome AND all fat. Bloody stinkin'' hot dentist...and totally a sweet guy to boot. I mean, what dentist have you ever been to that introduces himself by his first name AND spends all the time in the world with you. Alas, he''s married...

Wait a minute...alas, I''M married!

LOL!

I had my tonsils out when I was 19 and the anaesthetist was young, hot, and Australian. I was mortified lying there in that nasty hospital gown all open down the back. I remember he told me the anaesthetic would have a metal taste in the back of my throat like alcohol and he asked me what my favourite drink was... and I was trying all nonchalantly to say ''oh whatever''s on offer, ha ha...'' oh I''m cringing remembering it!!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Delster, my root canaled tooth has a crown on it. The other one (which was a front tooth) has since been replaced with an implant, but it was also crowned. I didn''t know they left root canaled teeth uncrowned.

Doctors should not be hot! It''s unnerving! And my dentists is cute AND has fantastic bedside manner. I can understand if they are cute and are socially inept. That would seem fair. My dentist acts like he has all the time in the world for you...asking me yesterday about the baby and how I was doing, as well as giving me advice on baby teeth. I thought I was his last appointment but he had one after me, and he was still not acting rushed! TGuy said if I go to him more than twice a year for a routine cleaning, he''s going to get suspicious.

My friend said she once went to a podriatrist, thinking he''d be old and crusty. He was this totally hot doctor and she was beyond embarrassed that she had just come back from the gym so her feet were icky and her toenail polish was all chipped. And to top it all off, she little sock lintballs between her toes. She made sure her feet were PRISTINE for her follow up appointment!!

 

[nessvan12]

Thanks everyone for calming my fears...I had the root canal today and it was pretty much pain free!

Delster...I do have an appt. in a week and a half for a crown. Here is what he said about the crown: Teeth that have had a root canal should be crowned. He said the goal is to save the tooth as opposed to yanking it out, (which is the only alternative to a root canal). So in essence they did save the tooth, it just needs a crown for strength and so bacteria doesn''t get into the hole he made to clean the tooth out.

 

[sandia_rose]

Date: 2/19/2008 2:57:54 PM
Author: nessvan12

It''s a molar on the bottom right. This was also my first filling that fell out yesterday! I thought I''d just get it filled again. Oh, well guess it has to be done.

The same exact thing happened to me about 5-6 years ago. Filling fell out...dentist went to drill for a new one....and my tooth cracked in half. It''s the first molar-type tooth on the bottom, in front. So I have a root canal and a crown.

It was not nearly as bad as people made it out to be. The only painful part was the needle for the anesthesia....after that, it was just an annoyance to keep my mouth open for a long time. The packing material that they use to fill the tooth space up tastes icky, too. But once it healed up and my crown was fitted, it''s as if nothing ever happened. You have to look real close to tell it''s not my own tooth.

Bridget in Connecticut.

 

[baby monster]

Date: 2/20/2008 12:08:50 PM
Author: Delster

I have a question about root canals if it''s not a threadjack? I went for a check-up recently and my usual dentist wasn''t there and it was a German lady. She said that root canals make teeth brittle and my front tooth should have been crowned. She said that the root canal-ed tooth is now like a ''dead tree'' and could smash at any moment if I bite into any food at all. She said all root canal-ed teeth are this brittle and she was surprised mine has lasted three years and that she''ll be surprised it it lasts two more. She told me that in Germany they don''t do root canals at all. This was all total hogwash wasn''t it?!? My endodontist has me booked in for a check-up in TEN years, that''s how confident he is that the root canal will still be in place! After all, the whole point of the treatment was to save the natural tooth and not have a crown.

Anyone else ever heard anything like this? I am careful with that tooth in any event but this woman really made my mind boggle.

Yes, root canals do make the tooth brittle. Once the tooth is dead, the organic matter starts to leave the enamel and can''t be regenerated. I procrastinated with getting a cap on one of my root canals and the tooth cracked. It took me a year to get it fixed because the fracture kept getting infected.

 

[Delster]

Hmmmm. Not one out of my original dentist; my oral surgeon; two orthodontists; and the endodontist who did the original root canal ever mentioned this brittleness factor to me. The tooth has a filling on the back so there''s no risk of infection but still, I must suss this out with my dentist. Crowns costthousands of euros over here

 

[somethingshiny]

I have crowns on all of my canaled teeth. They cost hundreds for me because my insurance only covers a small percentage. My dentist told me I would need the crowns prior to going to the endodontist. The endodontist ALSO told me each time he performed the procedure.

 

[Delster]

Ness did you go for your crown yet? Everything go OK?

I rang my dentist for advice on my root canal and I''m gonna start a new thread to see what people think...

 

[partgypsy]

This must be the season! I have 4 fillings but other than that (I thought) my teeth were in pretty good shape. Last friday while eating lunch one of my lower molars breaks (one that already had a filling in it).
Go in today, yep, need a crown! I got the drilling and the temp crown today, need to go back 3 weeks for the permanent. It''s going to cost $1300, but as I don''t have dental insurance (just regular medical insurance) 0% none nada is covered!
Crap....

.

Earlier this month our family dog fell ill and despite our best efforts died a week later, with close to a grand in bills, now this.
I hopefully this doesn''t signify how the rest of the year will go.

 

[nessvan12]

Date: 2/26/2008 2:26:13 PM
Author: part gypsy
This must be the season! I have 4 fillings but other than that (I thought) my teeth were in pretty good shape. Last friday while eating lunch one of my lower molars breaks (one that already had a filling in it).
Go in today, yep, need a crown! I got the drilling and the temp crown today, need to go back 3 weeks for the permanent. It''s going to cost $1300, but as I don''t have dental insurance (just regular medical insurance) 0% none nada is covered!
Crap....

.

Earlier this month our family dog fell ill and despite our best efforts died a week later, with close to a grand in bills, now this.
I hopefully this doesn''t signify how the rest of the year will go.

Do you live in the US? If so, you can get a dental discount plan. I didn''t have dental insurance either but I got a discount plan from dentalplans.com. It''s not insurance and it will reduce the fees. My root canal would have cost $841 but I got it for $490 and my crown would have cost me $1021 but it''s only gonna cost $585 with the plan. The membership for me was $110. So it was worth it and I will have it for 15 mos. for future dental costs since I still do need another filliing.

Thought you might want to check it out. The only thing is you have to use one of the dentists that participate in the program. Mine already does so it was no issue for me.

 

[partgypsy]

Can I sign up for one of those things after the fact? If I could I would.

My job does have dental. I used it for one year but then didn''t renew, as it didn''t seem worth the money for what they covered. However talking to coworkers they now have a new dental insurance available that seems much better. I will have to wait till open enrollment next year to get enrolled.